Naming the plants on your daily route, discovering the exoticism of your local parks and gardens, identifying the birdsong at your window, rediscovering the species that colonize the waterways and woods of our regions - wonder is close at hand everywhere, all the time, for all ages!

Patience will be the watchword of your naturalist expeditions. You can't just order animals to appear in the binoculars! Take the time to prepare your expedition well, identify the most promising passages, equip yourself warmly if necessary, and take with you all you need to prepare for a comfortable wait. Or, on the contrary, go out with your nose to the wind, taking advantage of what nature spontaneously offers along the way! Some animals can only be glimpsed for a few seconds at a bend in the path. But observation can also be a game of patience: plant a few seeds in a pot in the classroom, observe the growth of a fern day after day, let a patch of lawn return to its wild state, and so on.

When it comes to approaching even the wildest animals, discretion is the key. By moving silently, you increase your chances of catching a glimpse. You'll also avoid disturbing any species whose presence you don't even suspect, but which have heard you approaching from a great distance. When close to animals, speak softly and don't make any sudden movements to avoid alarming them.

Along with silence and patience, distance management is the other key to observing nature. Approach animals from the side rather than the front, so as not to stress them or provoke defensive behaviour. Use binoculars and stop any approach at the slightest sign of concern or distance. The distance to be respected may vary according to species and individuals, but also according to the season (during the breeding season, for example), so be sure to find out before you set off.

If you spend hours on the lookout, leave the area completely clean and undisturbed. And if you find garbage along the way, be so kind as to take it with you. Don't leave anything for the animals to eat either. You could inadvertently create health problems for them, modify their behavior or create habits that are harmful to walkers.

To preserve the species, and for your own health and safety, don't collect anything you're not absolutely sure about, and never touch any animal. Taking small animals such as crustaceans or insects, even if only to observe them in a bucket, can be fatal. Touching a nest to see if it contains eggs can subtly disturb the arrangement of vegetation around it, which can hinder the return of the parents or give access to predators. Never approach a young animal: it's well known that it's rarely alone, and the mother is not far away. When picking plants or mushrooms, find out in advance about authorized areas and never take the risk of picking - let alone tasting - what you don't know.

Don't miss out on the full spectacle of nature by relying solely on your eyesight. Observation involves all 5 senses: appreciate life in all its nuances of form and color according to the season, touch the texture of a leaf or a trunk, smell the humus in the forest or the sea air on the coast, savor - with the advice of an expert - the taste of aromatic wild plants, listen to birdsong, but also be on the lookout for the slightest crack of a branch or... silence.

For the more artistic or manual types, try your hand at land art, creating works of art and musical instruments from natural materials, or simply try your hand at drawing or reading in the great outdoors.

Good preparation for an expédition, whatever its scale, is the guarantee of a good time in the great outdoors. Associations, tourists offices and various institutions will give you all the practical; legal and scientific information you need. Don't forget to plan your trip carefully, and find about regulations, breeding periods, nesting areas and spawning grounds, etc.

Local guides and associations will be happy to share their experience with you for an unforgettable exploration.